Barbara J. Radovich¹
(1) Texaco, Bellaire, TX

Abstract: Modernizing seismic stratigraphy

Creative attribute displays interrogated within the context of 3D visualization systems are the most meaningful within the context of the sequence stratigraphic framework. This synthesis of modern tools and 25 years of conceptual development is today’s seismic stratigraphy. As in many other disciplines, the concepts and tools have moved forward together, one enhancing the development of the other. These tools are allowing greater insight and refinements to our understanding of the 3 dimensionality of sequence stratigraphic architectures in the subsurface even as they vex the interpreter with many data volumes and computer support problems. Workstation seismic stratigraphy and the ability to map amplitudes in our units gave us for the first time the ability to see seismic facies units and interpret in plan-view. Visualization of 3D data volumes can help us understand not only the lateral facies changes in our areas, but the vertical architectures hidden in our data volumes. These vertical architectures are especially well-developed in fluvial sands, and deep water fan packages. These two settings have changes in energy of deposition from the initial higher energy depositional processes at the base of the sequence to the lower energy processes that aggrade upwards in the sequence. Changes in bed lithology and thicknesses, shapes and lateral extents are most clearly seen in the 3 dimensional world. Various attribute displays that combine amplitude, phase and frequency with the ‘discontinuity’ attribute can help to detect these features.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90914©2000 AAPG Annual Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana